Stressed Out

Originally published: 07.01.08 by
Alan and Pamela Davis

The pressures of work and life can boil over. Make sure you and your
employees have ways to combat stress before it’s too late.

Summer
is in full swing and that means that your work days just got longer. Customers
are calling non-stop to have you fix their air conditioners and they want them
fixed now. A 90-degree day hits and two of your service technicians have called
off — turning your company upside down. By the end of the day you are ready to
pull your hair out, but you are too tired. Instead, you go to bed and get a few
hours of sleep before it starts all over again. When morning comes, your spouse
kisses you goodbye and says, “See you in September.”

Like
it or not, the life of an hvacr contractor is ruled by the season. When hot
weather or cold weather arrive, you must be on your game and you can stop for
nothing. The trouble is that these cycles create tremendous amounts of stress.

Indeed,
an “Attitudes In The American Workplace” Gallup Poll found that 80% of workers
feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to
manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help; 14% of respondents
felt like

striking a co-worker in the past year, but didn’t; 25% felt like
screaming or shouting because of job stress; 10% are concerned about an
individual at work they fear could become violent; 9% are aware of an assault
or violent act in their workplace and 18% had experienced some sort of threat
or verbal intimidation in the past year.

Stress
is a normal part of our being.

Our
system attempts to stay within a state of dynamic equilibrium, where the
external stressors in our environment lead to an internal reaction. Some stress
leads to appropriate adaptive changes—what Charles Darwin’s theory refers to:
Those that adapt best to stress will succeed. However, when excess amounts of
stress are applied, the system can’t handle it and overload issues occur —
screaming, shouting, violent behavior or verbal assaults.

Couple
job-related stress with other stressors and you have a potentially hazardous
situation.

To
be sure, when an employee comes to work they don’t necessarily come in an
isolated state. Many carry the stress of life with them. The top life
stressors: death of a family member or friend, divorce, injury or illness,
marriage or separation, retirement and job security.

The
warning signs of stress vary. You should be aware of employees that seem to be
isolating themselves from others and those using excessive alcohol or smoking.
Nervous habits, such as nail biting, pacing, teeth grinding or jaw clenching,
are all signs of stress.

To
help yourself, and your employees, better cope with stress, encourage
communication. It is key to reducing uncertainty and helps you stay on top of
what employees are dealing with on a day-today basis. Hold group discussions
and design employee surveys to measure employees’ perceptions of their jobs,
stress and satisfaction. Collect as much objective data as possible and analyze
the data to identify problems and stressful job conditions — then set out to
fix them. Their stress will be relieved because they are being listened to, and
your stress will be relieved because you have a chance to address issues before
they become crises.

Another
effective way to alleviate stress is exercise. Some companies offer their
workers discounts to local gyms or even create a mini gym within the building
to encourage employees to work out before or after work.

Additionally,
social interaction among workers helps build a “fun” atmosphere that makes work
seem less like work. Hosting a bowling night or company picnic are great ways
to relieve stress. Also, let employees know about local support groups that
help members deal with stress, or even offer a course on stress management in
addition to the technical training you provide.

There
are several employee assistance programs (EAP) designed to help employees and
their families deal with personal problems that might impact their work
performance. To view EAP providers in your state, visit: www.eap-sap.com. Also check with your insurance
provider to see if EAP services are covered under your insurance plan.

Stress
is all around us. It is a normal part of life. It is only when stress becomes
overwhelming and we don’t adapt properly that we get into trouble. Therefore,
as a business owner, it behooves you to create an environment for employees to
be able to manage stress appropriately. This will not only create happier and
more productive employees, it will also make your organization more successful.

Alan is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician affiliated with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

Pamela is a practicing dermatologist at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and is an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine as well as the American Board of Dermatology and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine.

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